What religion were Nabateans?

The Nabateans were polytheistic and worshipped a wide variety of local gods as well as Baalshamin, Isis, and Greco-Roman gods such as Tyche and Dionysus. They worshipped their gods at temples, high places, and betyls. They were mostly aniconic and preferred to decorate their sacred places with geometric designs.



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Dushara, a Nabataean deity whose name means, Lord of the Mountain, he was widely worshiped in Petra. Dushara is venerated as a supreme god by the Nabataeans, oftentimes he is referred as Dushara and all the gods. He is considered the god of the Nabataean royal house.

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Although Petra was inhabited by the Edomites before the arrival of the Nabateans, the latter carved grandiose buildings, temples and tombs out of solid sandstone rock. They also constructed a wall to fortify the city, although Petra was almost naturally defended by the surrounding sandstone mountains.

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During the reign of Aretas III (87 to 62 BC) the kingdom seems to have reached its territorial zenith; it was defeated by a Roman army under the command of Marcus Aemilius Scaurus.

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While the actual word Petra isn't used in the Qur'an. The Qur'an uses terms like Becca, mother of all cities, and even Mecca all refer to the city of Petra in Jordan.

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Petra, ancient city, centre of an Arab kingdom in Hellenistic and Roman times, the ruins of which are in southwest Jordan.

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In A.D. 363, Petra suffered another blow when a massive earthquake destroyed many of the city's buildings and its water-supply system. This natural disaster marked a turning point for the Nabataeans. By A.D. 700, only a few people lived in and around Petra. Over time, the city was lost to the outside world.

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Many people believe Petra was built for the Gods (or Giants) as the doorways, archways, and buildings are extremely tall. The buildings of Petra are composed of stone that has been sculpted by hand out of the sandstone cliffs using chisels.

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During the Exodus, The Prophet Moses and the Israelites passed through the Petra area in Edom. Local tradition says that the spring at Wadi Musa (Valley of Moses), just outside Petra, is the place where Moses struck the rock and brought forth water (Numbers 20:10-11).

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At its height under King Aretas IV (r. 9 B.C.–40 A.D.), Petra was a cosmopolitan trading center with a population of at least 25,000. The kingdom remained independent until it was incorporated into the Roman province of Arabia under the emperor Trajan in 106 A.D.

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